This invention relates to pipe couplings, and more particularly to quickly releasable couplings for clamping pipe or hose flanges together, as, for example, the flange of a fluid loading arm to the flange of a marine tanker manifold.
Releasable pipe couplings are commonly used in making fluid-tight connections in a quick, secure and safe manner between marine tanker manifolds and articulated fluid loading arms mounted on docks or other transfer terminals. One very satisfactory coupling device for this purpose is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,049, granted on Jan. 5, 1982 to Bernard Chevallier, and that description is expressly incorporated herein by reference. Often both the tanker manifold and the loading arm include a flow control valve, and for safety reasons it is important that these valves are closed before the connection between the manifold and arm is broken.